Marine seismic exploration for oil is typically done with the aid of a marine vessel which tows a line of seismic pulse sources. These sources generate acoustic pulses which penetrate subsea formations and are reflected back to a line of acoustic pulse detectors such as geophones. The line of pulse detectors may be either placed on the ocean floor or may also be towed behind the marine vessel.
In a typical marine seismic survey, as many as two lines of twenty seismic pulse sources and many miles of acoustic pulse detectors are towed by a single vessel. The sources and detectors are kept near the surface by floats or buoys.
Although there are several problems associated with a line of seismic pulse sources and detectors, such as deployment retrieval and storage, one of the most significant problems lies in the towing operation. These buoys can cause a significant amount of drag which reduces the speed at which the vessel may operate and may reduce the total number of seismic pulse sources and acoustic pulse detectors that may be used.